Let's Hope It's a Girl (Speriamo che sia femmina)

Directed by Mario Monicelli, who also shared writing duties with Tullio Pinelli and Leonardo Benvenuti, the 1986 Italian-French comedy-drama Speriamo che sia femmina (Let's Hope It's a Girl) centres on a former aristocrat who, following her divorce, keeps the family estate in Tuscany going with the help of her female relatives. The uneasy equilibrium of this all-women household is shattered when the matriarch's ex-husband turns up out of the blue with a scheme to renovate the property. Gathering women of different generations beneath one roof, the film touches on broken marriages, shirked duties and anxiety over what lies ahead, ending with a quiet gesture toward female solidarity in the face of unreliable men. The cast features Liv Ullmann, Catherine Deneuve, Stefania Sandrelli, Giuliana De Sio, Philippe Noiret and Bernard Blier. It collected seven David di Donatello awards, including Best Film and Best Director, plus six Nastro d'Argento prizes.